ConcernedSon
New Member
I am VERY concerned about a fast-developing situation with my dad, a loving guy who can be a little too trusting. Last June my dad, a self-employed, 58-year old Vietnam vet, met a Colombian woman in her mid-40s at the airport, en route to the U.S.
She pursued him almost immediately. Shortly after her arrival in Miami, she called and they were off on a series of hot and heavy dates. He quietly told me she was really aggressive, and wondered what she saw in an older guy like him.
She must have filled his ears with sugar. Three weeks later, he announced to the family he was engaged to be married, and was going to do it a week later. (I live out of state, and have not yet met this woman). Beyond the initial shock, what really set me off was that he privately confided to me he felt tremendous pressure to marry her, for a number of reasons. Apparently she wanted it to happen very badly. When I asked if he felt a little trapped, he said yes, but "had no choice." (Red flag no. 1). A week later, he actually went through with it.
That was three or so weeks ago. Since then, she has pushed hard for him to sponsor the residency papers. Because of the deductions my dad claims for his business, he doesn't qualify to sponsor her, or so the story goes. He asked me to do it, but took it back after my wife and I questioned some of the legal responsibilities associated with such a sponsorship, and especially so for a woman we have never met and do not really trust.
Fast forward to last night. He now has doubts about this woman's background, having caught her in several lies. To make matters worse, he tells me he heard one of her sisters paid big-time dollars for a marriage scam involving US citizenship, and another one was turned away at the Miami airport last year after immigration officials questioned why she had packed so much clothes on a travel visa. Lacking a good answer, they searched her bags and found a divorce record. She was returned to Colombia, thank God.
Meanwhile, his "wife's" travel visa expired a few weeks ago. She has not yet moved in with him, citing the need to keep earning money from her nanny "job" with a family in Ft. Lauderdale. The list of strange behaviors and circumstances goes on and on.
And finally, what prompted me to find this site and ask for any assistance or advice you might provide: After spending the day with this woman, he has now been talked into closing his 32-year old, small business and leaving the country (to Colombia), to become a business partner in a heavy industry manufacturing plant, in the hopes of making some money and traveling back and forth to the States. She of course would stay here, doing who knows what. (Red flag no. 3,134).
My questions are many, but for now: What provisions exist to notify INS of this, and is there anything they can do? I am very, very close to calling them and getting what might be an elaborate con-job DEPORTED, but do not want my dad to get in trouble. I fear he is getting quickly caught up into something bad. For example, is she planning to keep the sham marriage going to get her green card, and then leave him, take half of his hard-earned savings, pension, etc? What happens to her then? Would she have similar legal rights in court? Is it too late, given my dad has already married her??
She is now demanding health care coverage, wants to become a beneficiary on his life insurance policy, etc.
This one doesn't even come close to passing the smell test!
ANY insight would be greatly appreciated.
Signed,
Concerned Son
She pursued him almost immediately. Shortly after her arrival in Miami, she called and they were off on a series of hot and heavy dates. He quietly told me she was really aggressive, and wondered what she saw in an older guy like him.
She must have filled his ears with sugar. Three weeks later, he announced to the family he was engaged to be married, and was going to do it a week later. (I live out of state, and have not yet met this woman). Beyond the initial shock, what really set me off was that he privately confided to me he felt tremendous pressure to marry her, for a number of reasons. Apparently she wanted it to happen very badly. When I asked if he felt a little trapped, he said yes, but "had no choice." (Red flag no. 1). A week later, he actually went through with it.
That was three or so weeks ago. Since then, she has pushed hard for him to sponsor the residency papers. Because of the deductions my dad claims for his business, he doesn't qualify to sponsor her, or so the story goes. He asked me to do it, but took it back after my wife and I questioned some of the legal responsibilities associated with such a sponsorship, and especially so for a woman we have never met and do not really trust.
Fast forward to last night. He now has doubts about this woman's background, having caught her in several lies. To make matters worse, he tells me he heard one of her sisters paid big-time dollars for a marriage scam involving US citizenship, and another one was turned away at the Miami airport last year after immigration officials questioned why she had packed so much clothes on a travel visa. Lacking a good answer, they searched her bags and found a divorce record. She was returned to Colombia, thank God.
Meanwhile, his "wife's" travel visa expired a few weeks ago. She has not yet moved in with him, citing the need to keep earning money from her nanny "job" with a family in Ft. Lauderdale. The list of strange behaviors and circumstances goes on and on.
And finally, what prompted me to find this site and ask for any assistance or advice you might provide: After spending the day with this woman, he has now been talked into closing his 32-year old, small business and leaving the country (to Colombia), to become a business partner in a heavy industry manufacturing plant, in the hopes of making some money and traveling back and forth to the States. She of course would stay here, doing who knows what. (Red flag no. 3,134).
My questions are many, but for now: What provisions exist to notify INS of this, and is there anything they can do? I am very, very close to calling them and getting what might be an elaborate con-job DEPORTED, but do not want my dad to get in trouble. I fear he is getting quickly caught up into something bad. For example, is she planning to keep the sham marriage going to get her green card, and then leave him, take half of his hard-earned savings, pension, etc? What happens to her then? Would she have similar legal rights in court? Is it too late, given my dad has already married her??
She is now demanding health care coverage, wants to become a beneficiary on his life insurance policy, etc.
This one doesn't even come close to passing the smell test!
ANY insight would be greatly appreciated.
Signed,
Concerned Son
